Mistletoe Courtship (13 page)

The cat meowed and Colter remembered supper. He'd pulled the skillet to the back of the cookstove so the onions were not burned. He added the cut-up bacon to the onions and put it back on the front of the stove.

Petey came in the door. “I've been up in her room trying to get the second trunk ready to go.”

“She really got a letter?” Colter asked as he reached back for Virginia's apron.

Petey nodded. “The clerk at the office said something about prepayment made from San Francisco. He had some official form that he'd gotten on the same stage that Patricia's letter had come.”

Colter nodded. He must not know anything about families. It wasn't surprising given his childhood, but he was still astonished. “Did it say what stage she's to go on?”

“Tomorrow morning.”

“I'll miss her.”

The other man came over and put his hand on Colter's shoulder. “You know, I'm going to miss her, too. And from what she's told me of that mother of hers, I'm spitting mad that the woman has the nerve to ask her daughter to come live with her again. After leaving her there in that saloon all by herself. Doesn't she know what kind of things can happen to a little girl in a situation like that?”

Colter nodded. “She knows.”

The cruel fact was that love could be very selfish. It might be true that, in her own way, Patricia's mother loved her. But it wasn't a love that ever considered what was best for the other person. Colter knew how easy it must be to fall into the trap of loving like that. All he wanted to do was to take Patricia and Virginia and lock them in their rooms upstairs and never let them go.

The door opened again and Danny and the dog came inside.

“They're just crying out there,” the boy said in disgust.

Colter turned to the boy and gave him a fierce hug. “Tell me you're not leaving me, too.”

“Me?” Danny looked alarmed as he squirmed his way out of the hug. “Where would I go?”

“Nowhere if I have my say.” Colter turned around to tend
the skillet. It was time to add the potatoes. “Go ahead and put some plates on the table in the other room.”

“I hope they're done crying,” Danny said as he walked over to the cupboard.

“They were both crying?” Colter asked.

“Yeah. Girls,” the boy said in disgust as he pulled down some plates.

Colter looked over at Petey. “Is that good?”

The older man shrugged. “I don't know for sure. But at least she must be sad at the thought of leaving everyone here.”

“She'll miss the dog,” Danny said as he balanced the plates and opened the door.

Colter heard the sizzle coming from the stove. If he had his way, she'd also miss the cooking.

W
hen Virginia woke the next morning, it took her a few minutes to remember why she held a handkerchief in her hand. She'd gone to sleep with tears in her eyes. Everyone had been gloomy last night as they ate supper together, except for Patricia, who had been feverish with excitement.

Before they went to sleep, Virginia had given every gentle reason she could think of to make the girl change her mind about taking the stagecoach to San Francisco. Colter had assured everyone that if Patricia was set on going, he would go with her and make sure she made it to her mother's place.

His declaration had made Virginia cry even more.

She did not want to send Patricia off with memories of tears though so she dressed and went downstairs to make breakfast for everyone. The morning light was just coming into the main room as she made her way down the stairs. The trunk that had been sitting on the stairs last night wasn't there any longer. Neither was the one that had been dragged to the door.

The smell of coffee was coming from the kitchen and before she walked across the room, Colter opened that door and came inside. He looked as exhausted as she felt.

“I thought I'd help get breakfast,” she said.

He nodded. “I have batter made for pancakes. I just haven't—”

He sent her a look so bleak her heart broke.

“She'll be fine,” Virginia whispered as she walked toward him. “She's bright. And tough.”

Virginia opened her arms and he stepped into them.

“The stagecoach had someone come and take the trunks,” Colter said as he wrapped his arms around her, too. “Patricia was up. I don't think she slept at all last night.”

“Is she in her room?”

“I think so.”

Virginia's heart slowed. She'd never grieved like this before, with someone to hold her who knew the same anguish. She could feel the strength in Colter's arms as he held her, but it was the tenderness in his heart that comforted her the most. They stood wrapped together for a few minutes and then Virginia stepped back.

“I wanted to play some music for her before she leaves,” Virginia said as she looked over at the piano.

“Oh.” She stopped then looked up at Colter. “I have a bell missing.”

Virginia walked over to make sure she was right. She looked all around, but there were only nine bells instead of ten. “The one that's missing is the one Patricia was going to play in the Christmas Eve service tonight.”

“Well, I think we need to go upstairs and talk to her,” Colter said.

“Maybe she took it upstairs so she could practice.”

When Virginia and Colter knocked on the girl's door, there was no answer. They looked at each other and Virginia slowly opened the door.

“Patricia,” she called softly but she already suspected what she would find. “She's not here.”

Colter followed her into the bedroom. Everything was gone. Patricia's old hat. Even the rope she'd worn cinched around her middle for a belt. The closet was empty except for the yellow dress Elizabeth had made.

“She's probably down at the stage office,” Colter said as he turned to go.

Virginia followed him down the stairs. She was surprised that Patricia would try to leave without saying goodbye. Unless she was ashamed for stealing the bell. Virginia knew the girl would never enjoy the bell either since she'd stolen it. Which was such a shame with her ear for music.

“Wait a minute,” Virginia said as she went back upstairs.

When she came back down, she was carrying ten small pieces of linen and some cord to tie them together. She went to the piano and quickly wrapped the remaining bells in the linen. Then she tied them together with the cord.

“You're not going to…” Colter asked when she walked back to him.

Virginia nodded. Music had separated her from those she loved when she was a child. She didn't want it to come between her and Patricia now. “Let's go.”

The morning air was cold and gray clouds promised snow later today. There were a few people on the street, but it did not take long to arrive at the stage office. Virginia looked in the window and she saw Patricia sitting on a bench inside with a small bag nearby.

“She looks so forlorn,” Virginia said as she glanced up at Colter.

“Yes, she does,” he agreed as he opened the door.

A rush of warm air greeted them as they stepped inside.
Patricia looked over and, when she saw them, shifted farther away on the bench.

Virginia put her hand on Colter's arm. “I'll talk to her. She's feeling guilty.”

He nodded.

“We're just coming to see you,” Virginia said softly as she walked slowly toward Patricia. “We missed you and your father is making a wonderful breakfast. Besides, I wanted to bring you these.”

By now Virginia was standing in front of the girl and she held out the bundle of bells. “One bell is lonely by itself. It needs others to make music. If you want them, they're yours.”

Patricia looked up wide-eyed. “But you need them for the songs tonight. For the church service. For that lady with the school.”

For the first time that morning, Virginia remembered Cecilia Wells was coming tonight to make a decision about whether or not Virginia could be a music teacher at the school. If she didn't have the bells, she wouldn't appear like a worthy teacher at all. But her heart told her it wasn't only bells that got lonely. She looked down at Patricia's scared face and hoped the girl would remember she was loved when she played those bells.

“I still want you to have them,” Virginia said as she sat down on the bench next to the girl.

“But—” Patricia began and then she burst into tears.

Virginia put the bells down on the bench and opened her arms to the girl. “Come here.”

“I was talking to the clerk,” Colter said as he came over and joined them on the bench. Patricia stopped sobbing in Virginia's arms long enough to look up at Colter.

“He's made a mistake. That's all,” Patricia said as she pulled away from Virginia. “My mother sent money for me to go, too. Not just her trunks. He just made a mistake.”

Patricia sat with her arms crossed on the bench.

“Oh, dear,” Virginia said as she glanced up at Colter.

“Well, you will always have a home with me,” Colter said as he opened his arms to the girl, too. “There's no need for you to go anywhere.”

The girl started to weep again, this time even harder. Her face was pressed against Colter's shirt, but her voice was clear. “My mother didn't send for me.”

Then Patricia looked up at Virginia. “I was going to bring the bell back. I know they're yours.”

Virginia shook her head. “In the future, we'll share them.”

“But we'll use them tonight for church, won't we?” Patricia asked as she wiped her eyes.

Virginia nodded. “We'll need to practice some later today.”

 

Colter went to the church an hour before the Christmas Eve service was set to begin. He brought a load of firewood over because he had volunteered to heat the room up so everyone would be comfortable as they remembered the day Jesus was born. As long as he was heating the church, he decided he might as well provide some green boughs and a few red ribbons to make everything look festive.

When he was done, he sat on one of the benches to pray. It was about this time last year that he had walked up to the pulpit in this very building, pledging to become a Christian. He figured it wouldn't hurt to begin this next year with prayer either. His family was just beginning to find themselves. Patricia had spent the rest of the day without mentioning her mother. Danny had welcomed Patricia back with a pat on the back and an offer to let her name the cat since he had already named the dog. Virginia—well, she was the one who might be leaving.

Tonight the woman from the school would hear the bells
ringing out those Christmas carols. Colter had heard the practicing that had taken place this afternoon. The girls could play those songs flawlessly. He had no doubt Virginia would be offered the job. All he could do was pray that God blessed her and gave her the desires of her heart. He'd never felt so helpless.

 

A few hours later, Virginia and Patricia carried the bells over to the church and arranged them on a table before anyone else was there. When they opened the door, warm air welcomed them. Virginia knew that was because of Colter's thoughtfulness and she appreciated it. The girls would not be able to ring the bells right if their hands were all freezing.

“May I?” Patricia asked. Virginia nodded and the girl picked up one of the bells and rang it. The sound of the note filled the schoolhouse and the girl grinned.

Reverend Olson and his wife were the next to arrive, but then families started to arrive in clusters. The Hargroves were there. The Bakers. Annabelle and Higgins. Mr. Wells and his daughters. And, with them, a woman dressed in black silk who had to be his sister.

Virginia saw Mr. Wells nod for her to come over and she went to greet them.

“This is my sister, Cecilia,” Mr. Wells said. “With the school in Denver. We've been telling her all about you.”

“I've heard some wonderful things,” Cecilia said as she offered to shake Virginia's hand.

“I'm so glad you could come,” Virginia said as she accepted the woman's hand. “This is a special service for us tonight.”

By the time the Wells family was seated, everybody was ready for the Christmas Eve service to begin. Higgins began by reading the story of the baby's birth from Luke. Then Reverend Olson and his wife sang a duet. Spotted Fawn recited a Christmas poem that she had written. And then it was time for the bells.

Virginia barely had to prompt the girls. They knew their songs so well and the intense sweet smiles on their faces probably moved the listeners as much as the clear tones of their bells. Whichever it was, the building was completely silent as the bells rang out. Virginia wondered if there wasn't some of the wonder with them tonight that had been present thousands of years ago. She could almost hear the sigh from the listeners when the deep tone of the last bell finished ringing.

The girls walked back to their places on the benches and no one made a sound.

At last, the reverend stood. “After that beautiful reminder of the spirit of Christmas, let us pray.”

Everyone stood and bowed their heads. “Bless us on this beautiful Christmas Eve. May You give peace and joy to us all and be with us on our journeys home.”

When the prayer was done, people rushed over to tell the girls how much they enjoyed the bells. And to tell Spotted Fawn that they thought she should have her poem published in one of those magazines from back east.

Cecilia Wells came over to Virginia as she started wrapping the bells up in the pieces of linen.

“Those bells of yours are magnificent,” the woman said. “And my brother tells me you've only given lessons on the bells for a couple of months. It's truly remarkable what you've managed to teach. I just want you to know that the job is yours if you want it. I'll be in Miles City for a few days, so think of any questions you want to ask about the school. I'll invite you over for tea before I leave and we can talk more.”

“Thank you,” Virginia said with a nod of her head.

She had never thought it would be that easy. Surely the woman should ask her questions about her character and her references and—Virginia stopped. She wasn't ready to make a decision yet. She looked over at Colter. How was she ever going to decide?

“Can we do that again?” Patricia asked as she came over. Her eyes were bright and her smile radiant.

“Not right now,” Virginia said with an answering smile. “Maybe for New Year's Day.”

Elizabeth and Jake came up to tell them how much they enjoyed the bells.

“And you're worried about frying chicken?” Elizabeth whispered in her ear as she gave her a hug. “When you can make music like that? You don't even need to cook to put a smile on everyone's face.”

“It was a pleasure to hear those bells,” Jake said as he offered Virginia his hand.

By then most of the people were leaving and Colter came up to ask if he could walk them home.

Virginia nodded yes and put her shawl around her shoulders.

The moon was shining high in the sky when they left the schoolhouse. The clouds from earlier had moved on so they could see the stars, too.

“Chilly?” Colter bent down and asked her when they stepped onto the street. He didn't wait for an answer, but put his arm around her. She liked feeling his warmth so close beside her. Patricia and Danny raced on ahead. The night was peaceful and Colter didn't seem in any hurry to get home. Neither was she.

“Quite a day, wasn't it?” Colter said as they walked along.

Virginia nodded. Maybe that's why she wasn't as excited as she'd expected to be about learning she had the position at the school in Denver. When she remembered the panic she'd felt when Patricia was going to leave, her heart still raced. But now that those she loved were safe, she would have to consider the school position. But not until after Christmas. Tomorrow she didn't want any distractions. She planned to make a feast that everyone would long remember, whether she was here or not.